I visited Starved Rock State Park in downstate Illinois a few months back and was utterly astonished to see Barq’s Red Creme Soda on the soda fountain in the snack bar. I spotted it, remarked on it, and my friend and I immediately had to have some. It was great. But you can’t really find red creme soda in grocery stores around here (Chicago).
I was recently told, however, by an El Salvadorean friend that cola champagne (a soft drink flavor somewhat popular in Hispanic grocery stores) is a dead ringer for red creme soda, except for the color. That’s my latest mission next time I head out to Cermak Fresh Market. If I find some, I will report back.
I looove me some Barqs Red Creme. It was my favorite part of the float flight I mentioned earlier.
I had it (and Big Red actually) up in Indiana for most of my life, so I never thought twice about it. Haven’t really looked to see if I have any here in Florida, I should look this weekend.
Love the stuff but it absolutely destroys my teeth!
I’m resurrecting this thread to report back, as promised, about my expedition to find cola champagne. It’s apparently a bit elusive, as neither Cermak nor Jewel carries it. I happened to be in a Walmart for unrelated reasons this weekend, and upon wandering into the Hispanic aisle, lo and behold: Goya Cola Champagne. It was a bit pricey at a buck per (glass) 12 oz bottle, but I grabbed two, chilled them, and tried one.
Verdict: This is red creme soda. Same exact flavor. If you like red creme soda and you see this in your grocery store, buy some. Maybe brush your teeth after, though.
My husband grew up in the Detroit area (we are in the Seattle area now), and has been nostalgic for Faygo. I recently ordered him a few cases for his birthday, he was thrilled. His very favorite is Rock and Rye.
A little while ago, for no particular reason, while adding lemon juice to a dressing I put a squirt in the Pepsi Max I was drinking. It was so good I got a bottle of lemon juice and routinely add it to my drinks now.
I don’t remember if Jarritos makes a champagne cola, but I prefer their products to Goya. If I got your last sentence correctly, I’d say that Jarritos require a good toothbrushing afterwards as well; the sugar content seems insanely high to my palate.
Of the Jarritos sodas, I prefer the lime, love the fruit punch and like the tamarind and the pineapple.
But the best soda is Cherry Coke Zero. I may revise that opinion after I try Grape Coke Zero the next time I eat at the BK Lounge.
They’re not quite single nozzle. It mixes soda from one nozzle with flavored syrup from another. (Or maybe they both come through the same nozzle. I haven’t looked closely enough to find out. But in either case, the flavors are not pre-mixed.)
I like the orange and orange-vanilla Coke Zero. I also like mixing vanilla with ginger ale (it tastes similar to Verner’s) and with root beer (a float without the ice cream).
I’m disappointed that it won’t allow certain combinations, like vanilla Fanta or lime root beer, or any flavor at all with club soda.
The machines are my favorite way to dispense soda. I do, however, wish that all syrups were available with all flavorings.
I love peach with diet Sprite. I’d love to try it with diet Coke. I’m sure there are other combos that I’d try as well, but alas, the good folks at Coke think they know best.
Apparently, the Freestyle machines are a wealth of statistics. There is also a mobile app related to the machines. I’m going to have to download it prior to my Six-Flags New England trip this weekend with my daughter. We love the machines, and come up with some odd combos! (diet Sprite, 1/2 Peach, 1/2 Cherry is my go-to.)
Why the hell not? I can’t imagine any rational reason for them to limit the flavor combinations possible. Were they getting complaints from people who tried it and didn’t like Grape Coke?
Also, I was at one of those stations recently, and they were out of Coke Zero. But they still had all the (available) flavors of Coke Zero: orange, cherry, razzberry, lime, etc. It sure looked like they were mixing Coke Zero syrup with fruit flavored syrup in the nozzle when it was dispensed. Why would they have been “out” of regular Coke Zero?
The combos are pre-programmed; you cannot make your own combo. There’s a button for “Coke Zero Cherry” and a button for “Coke Zero Lime”, for instance, not buttons for “Coke Zero” and then “Grape” or “Lime” or “Schnozzberry”.
We were drinking Orange Coca Cola back in Germany in 1991 at the latest. You could order them off the menu, because soda fountains weren’t self-serve back then.
I don’t think you need a fancy soda fountain to make these today, even. Serve some orange, then add your Coke.
I miss German Fanta. Much better than the syrupy stuff we get here.
